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In Cleveland, Ohio, the name Danny Greene is almost as infamous as the name LeBron James. Everyone, it seems, has his or her own take on the notorious Irish mobster—or some kind of story about him. And in director Tommy Reid’s documentary Danny Greene: The Rise and Fall of the Irishman, some of the people who were closest to the controversial figure—and some of those who spent their careers trying to put him behind bars—open up about the Danny Greene they knew.
The hour-long documentary gives a brief overview of Greene’s background, his life, and his reign as Cleveland’s “Celtic Warrior” of the ‘70s—during the time when the city was known as Bomb City, USA. The film touches on everything from his involvement in the local labor unions to his rivalry with the Italian mob and the Teamsters. It also covers the numerous attempts on his life, along with his various connections and feuds. That’s a lot for one movie to cover in just 60 minutes, and it does so pretty quickly—so if you don’t already know at least a little bit about Cleveland mobsters of the ‘70s, you might find yourself hopelessly lost in the name-dropping and skimmed-over details.
Throughout the film, interviews with family, friends, and law enforcement officers provide differing viewpoints of both Greene’s crimes and his contributions to the city of Cleveland. To some, he was a heartless killer—plain and simple. As one man points out, “The human life didn’t mean much to Danny.” To others, though, Greene was a saint—The Robin Hood of Collinwood, who looked after his neighborhood and gave his money away to those who needed it most.
But the most fascinating insights come from Ed Kovacic, the former chief of police who, in his years of playing cat-and-mouse with Greene, also struck up a friendship with him. Because of his rather contradictory relationship with Greene, he has plenty of stories—not to mention an intriguing perspective.
For viewers who already know a little bit about the notorious Cleveland mobster, the interviews and previously unreleased images in Danny Greene: The Rise and Fall of the Irishman may provide interesting (though often graphic and disturbing) new information. Or, if you’ve never heard of him, it’ll provide just enough information to pique your interest and make you want to learn more about this fascinating character. Unfortunately, though, this short documentary merely scratches the surface. It fails to provide any insights into Greene’s motivation or his personality, making the film feel distant and impersonal and somewhat unsatisfying.
